Disasters and Economic Recovery

Disasters and Economic Recovery provides perspectives on the economic issues that emerge before, during, and after natural disasters in an international context, by assessing the economic development patterns that emerge before and after disaster.

This book will provide a historical overview of emergency management policy and previous responses to disasters in each country, as well as the policy learning that occurred in each case leading up to the disasters under analysis. The book highlights four cases: New Orleans; Christchurch, New Zealand; the Japan earthquake and tsunami; and Hurricane Sandy in the Northeastern United States. The book places important focus on the specific collaborative developments unique to the rebuilding of each place’s economy post-disaster. Using time-series data, the book shows the emergence of new industries and job hiring patterns in the immediate aftermath, as well as provides a picture of the economic performance of each country in the years following each event. Looking at the economic development policies pre- and post-disaster, readers will glean important lessons on how to build resilient economies within the disaster framework, highlighting the differences in approaches to rebuilding local economies in places with varying levels of governmental capacity post-disaster to inform policymakers, scholars, and the disaster relief community as they plan their response to future disasters.

Davia C. Downey is the MPA Program Coordinator and an Associate Professor of Public Administration at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in local politics, public policy, and public administration.